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Recent Paddling Safety Device Reviews

Astral V-Eight

Very comfortable and does the job... This is just a little info from our experience that you may not see in reviews of places that sell the Astral PFDs. Being new to kayaking and wanting quality PFDs for mostly summer paddling I liked the description and reviews about the Astral V-Eight. My wife and I tried them on at our local EMS store and found them very comfortable and well made. We bought them and like them very much. I'm 5'5" 185 lbs and the V-Eight does a good job of floating me. They… Full review

Shred Ready Super Scrappy Helmet

Nice helmet, wish it was a bit bigger. Nice helmet for the money. The only reason I gave it less than 5 stars is the fact that this helmet runs small for a one-size-fits-all helmet. I pulled all the extra padding out of it and it is still a tight fit. No way I will get a skull cap under it for cold weather. Full review

Kokatat MsFit Tour

A great all around PFD for keeping you above water! I grew up wearing the typical orange, uncomfortable, and oversized life jacket that everybody pictures in their head when they hear "PFD", but once I first tried this on and tightened it up, It felt like I was wearing a bad ass tactical vest that had the bonus feature of keeping you afloat. This PFD is great for any activity that involves water. It gives you amazing range of motion in the arms and sits higher above your waist line compared to the… Full review

MTI Thunder R Spec

Thick, buoyant vest with a lot of great pockets. Can be used for multiple paddling sports. My review of this is somewhat inconclusive as I have yet to be able to paddle in this. I plan on using the vest for whitewater kayaking. From what I can tell so far however is it is not as low profile as I would have liked, as it is super thick to the point of having difficulty zipping it (but this could be fixed by more wear of it and getting it wet). I think it is overall a great vest, and it has some nice… Full review

Kokatat MsFit Tour

Not as flashy or as low-profile as some of the newer designs, but this one won out because it appears more robust and more up to the job when you really need it. After 15 years, my old Lotus vest popped the zipper. I took offense at this and decided the new one should not depend on a zipper--it needed to have at least a buckle at the waist AND a buckle higher up. I checked quite a few styles and almost ended up with a tiny, very-light Astral. The MsFit Tour did not immediately come to mind because… Full review

NRS Sea Kayak Paddle Float

As the product name says, best used for sea kayaking. It rolls up into a compact package. It is well made, a good design, and easy to use. This product works.
It does what NRS advertises it to do.
Easy to use.
Easy to store in day hatch on on deck.
Fast self-draining mesh.
Sturdy construction.
Secure attachment to paddle with webbing/buckle and barrel lock draw cord. Full review

NRS Ninja PFD

The lightest PFD with best best freedom of movement available. I got this life jacket from my employer at Pocono Whitewater, Jim Thorpe, Pa. I previously was guiding with a Stohlquist Wedge-E, which — once broken in — was a fantastic jacket. I have to say though, the NRS Ninja is a prime piece of equipment. The design is simple, buckles and straps keep their position, but are adjusted easily. My favorite part is how light it is. Even when it's wet, you barely realize that you're wearing it. Full review

NRS CVest Type III PFD

Best PFD on the market for around $100. This is one of the best PFD I've used to date. Granted I'm not a white water nut, but I raft and canoe the swamps and Gulf of Mexico. I've used many PFD's, and never really found one that I thought would be worth buying. Until now. I used this one one a recent trip to Deer Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And found myself awaiting the arrival home so I could purchase it online. The 5 zip pockets came in great for stashing gear. It also has a radio pocket,… Full review

Astral Wondervest

A great compact vest for paddlesports. I bought this used on eBay on a hunch that I would like the design...and I really have taken to it. I never liked fiddling with zippers on a PFD and now I much prefer pulling this on over my head. Plus, there is no zipper to break or go bad! The straps loosen and tighten very easily for a secure fit. Also, it is very short in the torso. It's made to fit a woman (who tend to have much shorter torsos, like myself) but anyone who paddles using a skirt will appreciate… Full review